The present invention relates to mounting step structures or assemblies for track-laying vehicles and more particularly relates to step structures which are mounted within the area circumscribed by the endless tracks of a track-laying vehicle. In application Ser. No. 25,696, filed on Apr. 2, 1979 by J. Link (and now abandoned), there is disclosed a step structure including a foot-engageable strap mounted on the top of a recoil spring cover and located within a step housing having a top which inclines downwardly and inwardly from a location spaced vertically above the foot-engageable strap.
While the step structure disclosed in the above-identified patent application operates generally satisfactorily in that it prevents mud from being carried over onto the foot-engageable strap by the endless track, it has been found that mud and dirt carried into the step housing by the shoes of an operator will often become deposited behind the foot-engageable strap and thus be trapped within the housing.
Further, it has been found that operators using the step disclosed in the patent application will sometimes step on top of the step housing and this is not altogether satisfactory since the housing top or the operator's foot may be covered with mud and result in his slipping sideways from the top.